Robert I. Macfarlane

Robert “Bob” Ivor Macfarlane of Stevensville Maryland, passed away on Monday, March 10th with loved ones at his side. Bob was born on December 6th, 1948 in Camden NJ, the son of Ivor “Mac” and Claire Macfarlane. Bob was the oldest of three children and a proud big brother of Joan and Gordon Macfarlane. They spent their childhood in Salisbury, MD and summers in Stone Harbor, NJ with their Grandparents and many cousins. Ultimately, they settled in Moorestown NJ, where Bob was a member of the high school soccer and track teams before graduating in 1967. Bob then moved to Washington D.C. to attend American University where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, played club soccer, and graduated with a degree in Political Science. While at AU, Bob developed a number of lifelong friendships and met his first wife, Lois Pleiman. After a few stops along the way, including time to pursue a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice at Michigan State University and serving in the Air National Guard in Fort Collins, Bob and Lois settled in Gaithersburg, MD and were devoted parents to Rob (Robby), Lisa, and Amy. Bob’s degree in Criminal Justice and his work with the National Chiefs of Police, prepared him for a career in Information Technology. Bob worked for several government contracting firms specializing in Community Policing and improving their cyber systems. When not hard at work, Bob spent countless hours coaching and cheering for his children in their various school and sports activities. His children will always remember his devotion and spirit as he was their number one fan. The family also enjoyed outdoor adventures together including hiking near the Potomac River with their beloved yellow lab Snickers, vacationing in Avalon NJ with Grandparents, learning to ski together, and of course spending time on his pride and joy the “Heart and Soul,” his fishing and cruising boat which became a big part of his life going forward. Later in life, Bob was remarried to the love of his life Eileen Kenney Evans on June 1st 2002 and they relocated to Darnestown MD, where they shared many memories developing a blended family. Eileen’s children Chad, Keith, and Colleen joined the Macfarlane kids as well as their loyal family chocolate lab, Bailey. When he wasn’t cheering on the six kids or out on the boat, he loved to spend his time taking dance lessons with Eileen, working in his garden, and rooting for the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Redskins. Bob often carried his AM/FM radio while gardening as he didn’t want to miss anything. Bob made many special memories at the O’s games with his family, including the game when Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak. Bob and Eileen loved to travel together as the children moved off to college and started their own families. They were fortunate to spend time in Paris, Nova Scotia, Ireland and Scotland, to name a few. They also spent vacations with friends and family including sailing in the Bahamas and several ski trips with the now grown children. This next phase of life also included one that Bob and Eileen were perhaps most proud of as they became loving Grandparents to Chase, Collin, Reagan, Cam, Claire, Caden, Lola, Carter, Henry, Riley, and Andie. As they approached retirement, they followed through on a lifelong dream to move to the Eastern Shore of Maryland choosing the perfect home in Prospect Bay, where Bob could dock his boat and fine tune one of his biggest passions, fishing. The growing family had plenty of space to visit and play in the large backyard, which included a garden that was the envy of the neighborhood touting his certified Master Gardener skills. They also had plenty of time to host members of the Kenney family as well as many new friends and ones that they had kept in touch from prior stops in life. Even after his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2012, nothing slowed Bob down and he was committed to not having the disease define him. He was committed to exercising, which eases Parkinson’s symptoms and he often enjoyed his Rock Steady boxing therapy program at the YMCA Chesapeake in Easton, Maryland. He refused to let any obstacle get in the way of seeing his grandchildren play in their numerous sports and activities. He also made sure not to miss any family gathering. In 2019, Bob and the family started a Labor Day vacation tradition, where they enjoyed doing what they loved most–spending time together on the water at a host of lakes and rivers in the region. Bob is survived by Eileen, Rob (Courtney), Lisa (Chris), Amy (Matt), Chad (Christy), Keith (Traci), Colleen (Tim) and all eleven of his grandchildren. Bob will be remembered for his positivity, fun going and loving nature, and his fighting spirit. His family and friends will remember countless one liners, his stories, his laugh, and his love of those that mattered the most to him. A funeral service honoring Bob will be held on Thursday March 27th, at 10:00 AM at St. Christopher's Church (1861 Harbor Dr, Chester, MD 21619). A gathering of friends and family will be from 9:15am-10am in church before the service. The burial will immediately follow the service at St. Peter's Cemetery (5319 Ocean Gateway, Queenstown, MD 21658). Afterwards, his life will be celebrated at a reception at the Bay Bridge Cove clubhouse (215 Moorings Cir, Stevensville, MD 21666). In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution in memory of Bob to the Michael J. Fox Foundation https://www.michaeljfox.org/ or to the YMCA Chesapeake Rock Steady Boxing Program that he took part in: https://operations.daxko.com/online/2043/OnlineGiving/Donation.mvc If donating to the YMCA Chesapeake, please select in Memory of the Easton Family Y campaign and Wendy Palmer as campaigner.

Robert I. Macfarlane

December 6, 1948 - March 10, 2025